Garden Talks with Lili Singer at The Arboretum

January 8th, 2013 by Temple City Tribune

January 10 Edible Landscaping in Southern California with Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen
From small balcony to big suburban yard, every gardener can shorten the gap between farm and table. This innovative session shows how to integrate edibles and medicinal plants into a landscape, with a focus on perennials, fruit trees and useful, low-care natives and other mediterranean-climate plants. Kelly and Erik are the authors of The Urban Homestead (Expanded and Revised Edition): Your Guide to Self-Sufficient Living in the Heart of the City and founders of the blog rootsimple.com .
January 17 Planting L.A./L.A. Plants: A Talk and Plant Sale with Antonio Sanchez
Which plants really belong in your garden? Hint: They’re not azaleas. Discover which gorgeous low-water ornamentals and edibles are happiest in our area, why they are special and how to grow them successfully. Don’t worry! No preaching – expect humor, unique plants and great information! Antonio is an educator, native plant advocate and co-founder of Proyecto Nativo, a non-profit movement to create green jobs and promote sustainable landscaping and farming in Coastal California. He also co-founded the recently closed Nopalito Native Plant Nursery in Ventura.
January 24 Field Trip – A Walk on the Westside: Three Extraordinary Coastal Gardens, 10:00am-1:00pm
Our private garden tour includes locations in the Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica and Brentwood and stunning landscapes by local design luminaries Richard Hayden, Fleur Nooyen, Joel Lichtenwalter and Ryan Gates. Each garden is studded with climate-appropriate plants, exciting colors and textures, garden ornaments, sustainable practices and materials, and areas for rest and play. Pre-registration required.
January 31 Splendid Salvias: Sages for the Garden with Bart O’Brien
Members of the genus Salvia—the sages—hail from many continents and varied climates. These beautiful shrubs and herbs offer colorful flowers and wonderful scents, as well as wildlife, medicinal and culinary values. This session with one of the region’s most respected plantsmen reveals the best sages for Southern California landscapes, including choices for sun, shade and containers. Bart is director of special projects at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont and co-author of several books, including Re-imagining the California Lawn and California Native Plants for the Garden.
February 7 Living Well in a Limited World with Isabelle C. Greene, FASLA
A very special presentation! The developed world’s lifestyle engine has been overtaxing our planet so much that most systems are showing signs of collapse. Yet, do we need anything more than shelter, enough to eat, friendship, a stable community and, of course, meaningful things to do? It has been shown that ‘more’ does not result in more happiness. What resources can our gardens teach so that we can fulfill our needs in a lasting way? Isabelle is a Southern California treasure, an internationally renowned landscape architect, and the author of Live Light, Live Small and Have a Big Life, a DVD that shows her passion for sustainable practices. The results are apparent in her landscapes, which age well and flow with the land and climate beautifully, conserving water, energy and materials.
February 14 Introduction to Greywater Systems with Leigh Jerrard
Systems that recapture and recycle greywater—gently used water from bathtubs, showers and laundry—are now allowed in the city of Los Angeles and many other municipalities. This morning’s practical program describes various types of greywater systems, which systems need permits (and why), and the many ways that using greywater can greatly benefit your pocketbook, your garden and the planet. Leigh is a LEED-accredited architect and ecologist and the founder of Greywater Corps (greywatercorps.com), a Los Angeles-based firm specializing in residential greywater conversions.
February 21 Field Trip – Huntington Rose Garden, hosted by Curator Tom Carruth, 10:00am-12:30pm
Our private tour of the Huntington’s world-famous 3 ½-acre rose garden will be led by Tom Carruth, the collection’s new curator and one of our all-time favorite guest lecturers. Originally designed by Myron Hunt and first planted in 1908 by William Hertrich, the rose garden contains approximately 4000 individual plants and 1200 different cultivars, arranged historically from ancient to modern times. Optional lunch follows in the Huntington Café. Preregistration required.
February 28 Great Garden Plants, an Admiration and Arboretum Exploration with Lili Singer
It’s hard to choose favorites when all plants are considered beautiful and useful! But this speaker will narrow down her list and share a few outstanding choices for local gardens. The morning includes a walk on Arboretum grounds to see the best of late winter. Lili is an award-winning horticulturist, educator and garden writer. She coordinates the Arboretum’s Thursday Garden Talks. A Los Angeles native, she especially admires California natives, as well as edible plants, bulbs and succulents from around the world.
Winter 2013: 8 Thursdays, January 10 – February 28 9:30am–Noon / Palm Room
$100 for the series, $20 per class / Reservations or you may pay at the door
Information and registration: 626.821.4623 or jill.berry@arboretum.org; pre-registration required for field trips.
-Photo by Terry Miller